Escavalier

Escavalier is one of the best Pokemon in RU. A fantastic Steel / Bug typing, huge defenses, and a huge Attack stat all make for one of the best possible "tanks" ever conceived, and those characteristics grant Escavalier the freedom to switch into a very large portion of the tier. On top of that, its typing provides a lot of synergy with many of the other top Pokemon of the tier, particularly Fire-types like Emboar and Entei and Water-types like Slowking. That massive Attack stat combined with a high Base Power STAB move in Megahorn makes Escavalier one of the hardest Pokemon to switch into. To top it off, Escavalier's traits lend it to being one of the best Pursuit trappers in the tier, striking fear into the hearts of nearly every Psychic- and Ghost-type.

The rise of "random" Fire-type moves on many sets in the tier is attributed almost solely to the rise of Escavalier, indicating just how metagame-defining the lancer is. These Fire-type moves are a particular problem for Escavalier, considering that the user can choose to wait until it is on the field to fry it. This is because they will never have to fear being outsped by Escavalier, meaning even if Escavalier switches in on a resisted attack, it will still take a Fire-type attack next turn. While most Fire-type moves will quickly eliminate it, Escavalier can overcome even this obstacle through other means should it forgo the power of Choice Band for Occa Berry. In short, Escavalier's role on the team is one that helps patch up weaknesses and demolishes most defensively weak switch-ins, creating the necessary holes in the opposition for other Pokemon to clean up.